Sea of sundown and straw
by Isabelle Adamowitz
Summary: UoKyo. This is the final installment of the BeautyFateSea "trilogy". Uo and Kyo handle the consequences of Kyo's confession. Please read "Beauty" and "Fate is a bittersweet thing" first.


Disclaimer: The characters are the property of Natsuki Takaya. I only own the plot of this fic.  
  
A/N: Hey! First off, thank you all for reading " Beauty?" and "Fate is a bittersweet thing"! I'm really flattered that you've stuck with me! If you haven't read either of the two stories mentioned above, I strongly suggest that you do since this is the epilogue. Originally I decided not to post an epilogue since I think the ending was open enough for everyone to imagine what would happen. Also, I'm already going to tell you this: even if this reaches past a one shot (which is what I currently intend it to be) I won't make this a lemon. I don't feel comfortable writing those (yet). Also I doubt I'll be putting them in to any of my fics for the time being. Sorry if you're disappointed. Now, on with the story!  
  
P.S. I'm really sorry about the delay! I couldn't go online for about a month, so obviously it was impossible to post this. GOMEN NASAIIIII! ( oh dear, I'm doing a Ritsu.)  
  
"Sea of sundown and straw"  
  
Epilogue  
  
Three weeks had passed and Uo had finally gotten out of hospital. It felt wonderful to finally be out of that white, sterile hell. After Kyo's visit, Tohru and Hana had come. They were both overjoyed to see their beloved Uo awake. It just wasn't normal for someone so boisterous to be calm for long periods, even if she could do nothing about that.  
  
Kyo had not returned, but then again, this didn't surprise her. Tohru voiced her concern out loud one day, while visiting Uo:  
  
" It's strange, Kyo has been locking himself in his room a lot more often than usual, he hasn't come to see you either. In fact, just mentioning you makes him look downwards. I think I even saw him blush once. Such a change, he used to come and see you even more often than Hana and I."  
  
" Really? " Uo couldn't restrain a small smirk. Should she tell Tohru? No, she'd just keep this to herself.  
  
Here she was, back in her school uniform at the gates. She was a bit nervous. The thing was, that even if she would be able to act, the fact remained that Kyo's declaration had moved her, so now, how would he react upon being confronted with her presence again? She looked at Hana who was walking next to her. She had been picked up by the Denpa like she used to be every morning. It felt right, returning to her normal routine, but she was different. She wouldn't be able to pick on her favourite dummy relentlessly, yet if she failed to do so, it would be noticed.  
  
' I'll just have to cross that bridge when I get to it.' She reasoned.  
  
By lunchtime Uo was seriously pissed. She had been afraid of the confrontation, but not nearly as much as Kyo it appeared. He had avoided her all morning, running away at the very sight of her. He had even used the lame excuse that he had to check on his younger cousins just to get away from her. (She knew that he must be desperate if he preferred his annoying cousin's company to hers.) Being avoided was nothing new to Uo (she had been member pf a gang after all) but this behaviour infuriated her. She had come to think of the Sohma redhead a lot more highly in the last few weeks, but this was behaviour of a coward. ' He's a guy; it figures.' she had thought. But she had now decided to take matters into her own hands.  
  
Kyo let out his breath. He had finally escaped Momiji with whom he had spent the morning break to avoid Arisa (for that was how he now referred to her in thought) and had decided that he had had enough of the whiny little idiot. He sat down on the roof, unpacked the bento that Tohru had made for him. The food it contained, and whose cook he had once valued beyond any other human being (except maybe his shishou) seemed dainty and perfect but dull. They somehow didn't compare with Arisa. He had always known that she had a low opinion of him, but it hadn't ever bothered him this much before. In fact he was so ashamed of himself for showing weakness by avoiding her that he didn't even want to imagine what she thought about him now. As much as she must pity him, he admired her. He loved her, and it wasn't the same kind of love he had felt for Tohru. That had been like a soft spring breeze. His emotion for Arisa was more like summer storm, intense and violent (incidentally these were two adjectives that described the person in question pretty well). He tried eating, but lost interest and just stared into space, his mind overflowing with thoughts.  
  
" Hey, Carrot top, snap out of it!" Uo said waving a hand in front of Kyo's eyes.  
  
He jumped and then realising who the hand belonged to backed away a few paces.  
  
" What are you doing here? Leave me alone!" Kyo spat  
  
" I didn't know I was that scary, or perhaps you think I'm revoltingly ugly. Or, is it my B.O.?" she said, an eyebrow cocked upwards at the last comment  
  
" No! You look and smell fine!" Kyo answered, reddening.  
  
" How can you tell, you haven't been around me enough to smell or see me at all today. I guess you're just scared." She threw at him, trying to sound blasé.  
  
" I'm not scared!" Kyo said weekly, not meeting her eyes once.  
  
She edged closer. To prove his point Kyo stayed put, trying to save what little honor he had left.  
  
" Then why are you avoiding me?" she whispered when she was close to his ear. And even though she knew the answer, she wanted to hear it from him.  
  
" I, ah, I, because of what I said." He trailed off.  
  
" And you were afraid of my reaction." She said. Then dryly " Did you mean it?"  
  
He nodded, reddening.  
  
" Well, you're in luck." She said " I feel pretty much the same way about you."  
  
He looked up, still beet red and met her eyes. They were as beautiful as ever, but in her usual coarse way, a slightly softened cynical expression.  
  
" Thanks" he stammered for lack of anything better to say.  
  
" Oh come on, you completely ruined the atmosphere" she yelled.  
  
They looked at each other again and Uo started chuckling. Kyo looked on and after a while started laughing quietly, not out of mirth, but more out of relief. Their laughter slowly stopped and, smiling, Kyo lay down on his back and looked at the sky. He still couldn't believe his luck. Arisa was looking at the sky as well, a girlish smile on her lips. To Kyo it was the most beautiful thing he could imagine.  
  
Arisa wouldn't change, she wouldn't become the dainty, feminine woman he had wished for, but it didn't matter anymore. He had found that she matched none of his prior criteria concerning "the perfect woman", but he realised that he had found something much better.  
  
A few minutes later, Uo stretched out on her back close to him, still contemplating the clouds. He breathed in her scent (she smelled familiar and clean and comforting. A little like a boy perhaps.) and placed his hand over her warm, rough one. They just lay there, their hair intertwined, forming a sea of sundown and straw.  
  
FIN-  
  
There, this was the final instalment of the Beauty/Fate/Sea " trilogy". I hope you enjoyed it. To those of you who were disappointed because they didn't kiss, or make out or whatever: I figured that since Uo and Kyo are two people who are extremely unused to showing (romantic) emotion, so it wouldn't make sense if they got physical right away. I think that they would need time to grow, and take things slowly. Basically even though their characters aren't those of a stereotypical couple, in the end they seem to be quite a romantic couple. Just my opinion though.  
  
I would love feedback and suggestions of other Kyo/Uo fics if you know any (except for Ginny's stuff which I have already read.) Toodles - Mouton 


End file.
